Review: CLAAS Scorpion

When it comes to manoeuvrability and the power to perform a huge range of farming tasks, the recently landed CLAAS SCORPION more than proves its mettle

Designed for lifting, loading and moving, with multiple steering modes and the retractable boom, the telehandler is something that once you’ve used it, you’ll find it very hard to move away from.

While tractors are designed to have loaders on them, continuous heavy loading work does often result in hefty repair bills. This is where the purpose-designed telehandler and its heavy-duty ability to load all day, every day does lend itself to much higher work rates than a tractor, making it a no-brainer for a worthwhile investment, particularly for those loading TMR feeders on the daily.

I’m personally very excited about the launch of the new CLAAS SCORPION model in New Zealand, as many years ago when I was in Europe, I noticed that the SCORPION model was everywhere. There’s a reason they’ve been so popular in overseas markets, particularly mainland Europe for some 20 years now, so it’s exciting to see them finally land here.

In their earlier years, the SCORPION was built by Kramer, but since 2018 have made the transition to a Liebherr-built machine. This also coincided with the model’s launch in Australia. Since then, there have been more than six years of solid performance across the ditch.

So, I was pretty chuffed to have the luxury of checking out the New Zealand exclusive introduction to both new CLAAS SCORPION models here, the 732 and the 741. Both of these are coming in as standard fitted with a Q-Fit headstock, which is useful as it can fit on existing attachments in the farmer/contractor’s arsenal.

With so much in terms of design and inclusions to discuss, we’ve compiled a list of some of the key features you’ll be interested in:

Engine Performance: The SCORPION 732 and 741 we tested both use the same 3.6-litre, Deutz high-torque 4-cylinder high-performance engine, featuring 16 valves and High-Pressure Common Rail (HPCR) and turbocharger. Best of all it has no AdBlue, and the Tier 3 engines have a max output of 142hp. In terms of cooling, the large radiator with hydraulic reverse fan is standard.

Lift Capacity and Height: The machine numbering is a dead giveaway for this part of the performance characteristics. The 732 has 3.2-tonne capacity to just under 7m of reach, while the 741 has 4.1-tonne to just under 7m. As mentioned earlier, whether on the farm or around the yard, the versatility ranges so much more than just stacking bales or loading trailers.

Transmission: VARIPOWER 2 and a 40km/hour full hydrostatic transmission, which has three speed limiters. This essentially changes the travel range of the accelerator to be more sensitive to the task at hand. The three ranges are:

1. Snail (0 to 15km)

2. Tortoise (0 to 30km)

3. Hare (0 to 40 km)

The VARIPOWER 2 also has a creep speed option. This is perfect for tasks like trenching or trimming where high oil flow rate at low ground speeds matters, and also for sweeping or litter spreading. The maximum ground speed is easily set via a small lever, and engine speed is set via the electronic hand throttle right next to it. This was fitted to the 741 we tested and is a very cool inclusion.

Manoeuvrability: This is a real big plus on the score sheet of the SCORPION when compared to the competition. The toggle switch in the cab has the usual crab, four-wheel and front-wheel only steering options, but also has manually adjustable crab drive. This means you can set the rear axle steering angle individually in the desired position and steer the machine with the front axle. This steering mode is ideal for cleaning out bins. I was very impressed by this, as to this day I have never been able to master crab steer, but this was a great feature and really straightforward.

Hydraulic System: 160 litres per minute is the main pump capacity. This proved to be more than ample during our testing for lifting or extending the boom and crowding the bucket all at the same time. In terms of maintenance, the transmission and hydraulic oil are in the same 90 litres reservoir and need replacing every 1000 hours.

Comfort and Usability: The operator’s cab is designed for comfort and visibility, featuring ergonomic right-hand controls and a multi-colour 7” screen display. A large curved front window provides excellent visibility (the guards are removable). I only had two minor complaints of the entire machine, and both seem like ‘me’ problems. The first is that every time I hopped in the machine, I whacked my head on the rear-view mirror (but this may be due to my larger than the average bear stature and a general inability to remember that I have a neck that moves). Secondly, I didn’t love the joystick-mounted shuttle control. That’s very much personal opinion though and my own preference is for a column-mounted F/R lever. Admittedly if you were operating this, it wouldn’t take long to get used to at all, and many operators prefer it. The joystick was comfortable to use, the toggles operated smoothly and the return to dig position on the bucket (not the boom) worked well.

Easy Maintenance Access: When I first started this job many moons ago, my dad set me the task to find a machine that had no grease nipples at all (this showed his hatred for daily maintenance). To this day, I have never managed to achieve this, but for a machine of this complexity the three (yes, you read that right, three) grease nipples on the SCORPION comes very close.

Managing to design just three nipples that run lines to key areas of the machine is fantastic for staff and helps keep the machine maintained to a high standard as it’s easy with none located under the machine. Best of all, it makes it very easy to retrofit an auto greaser thanks to the lines already being in place – top marks here.

Safety features

Not only is the SCORPION fitted with ROPS and the traffic light load and level warning system both on the A pillar, which is familiar to many operators, but it also features an electronic park brake. I can hear the sighs already, but it is much smarter than a car. When you leave the driver’s seat, switch off the engine or stop to 0km an hour, the park brake is automatically applied. Likewise, the brake is automatically released as soon as you depress the accelerator pedal or select a direction of travel. A toggle switch is still fitted to manually activate if you prefer.

Rear hydraulics

Around the back, the 732 has the full suite of options: a hydraulic drop-down pick-up hitch, an additional double-acting spool valve, a single flow spool (with return) and twin-line hydraulic trailer brakes – perfect for those New Zealanders who are tearing around with tube wrappers and trailers behind their telehandlers.

Summary

Boasting a fantastic transmission, a high torque engine, four steering modes and a superbly comfortable cab, this combination makes for an extremely impressive offering here in New Zealand for the CLASS SCORPION. When you combine the fact it has more than proved itself over six years of working in Aussie, and its extensive heritage in Europe and the UK, while the SCORPION may be new here, it has all the ingredients (and more) of a recipe for success. Having been well put to the test across the ditch by operators who may not be quite as rough as us Kiwis (although arguably it comes close), it’s a confident launch of an impressive machine.

Top 5

• Hydrostatic VARIPOWER 2 transmission with three adjustable travel ranges
• Four steering modes with customisation
• Daily maintenance is easy thanks to three grease nipples and internally routed grease lines
• Comfort and operation in the cab
• Locally owned Claas Harvest Centre backup nationwide

Make and model	CLAAS Scorpion
Engine	Deutz 3.6L 4-cylinder
Engine power	142hp (732 &741 we tested)
Max torque	500Nm
Engine emissions	Tier 3
Transmission	VARIPOWER 2 fully Hydrostatic
Tyre size	460/70R24
Hydraulic capacity	160L/min at 270 bar (240bar for the 732)
Service intervals	500 engine/1000-hour transmission/hydraulic